Looks like I'll be flying Precision Air from Dar to Mbeya this year. Anyone have any experience with this airline? Planes they fly, any quirks, etc. Any information would be appreciated.

Good Luck! .... is all I can wish you.

Planes and their pilots are OK.

Keeping to the scheduled ETD is something else.

Fujotupo,

Thanks for the comments. You are always a great source of information on Tanzania. I really never expected them to be on time -- any other time than "African time." But I'm pretty used to that. I've been married a very (very) long time to a woman of Irish descent and "Irish time" is pretty much the same thing. I'll just bring a good book and hope for the best.

Thanks again.

They just finished the new Mbeya airport (Songwe)so it will accept jets. It opened to large aircraft on January 15. I flew from Dar to Mbeya the first week of January on a Caravan. We had to fly out of the old terminal in Dar. (Since the airport/Precision wasn't ready we were switched to Auric Air) We stopped in Iringa for 5 minutes to drop some people off. We flew over the Usangu and it was nothing but rice farms......so much for a national park. The terminal and the apron in Mbeya was still not finished. (New toilets but you flushed with a 5 gallon bucket and a ladle) There were five police to check six passengers in at the terminal. I had to open my bags to show them what was inside (I had no guns). Not sure why this was done de boarding a plane?

I flew out 3 weeks later and was on a Precision Air wingover prop plane that seated apx 60 people(not sure what kind) They didn't check any of our bags before putting them on the plane????? In all fairness I am sure people were learning their jobs and trying to figure out what to do. The plane did fly into the new terminal in Dar.

Overall it was no problem and everything went better than standard African time. I will definitely fly them again.

The irony is that in the 60's East African Airways flew into Mbeya. (DC3) In the early 70's that stopped. For 40 years there was nothing but charter service. (I stand to be corrected if I am wrong)In the last 2-3 years Auric has been flying the route. I give Auric and Precision credit for starting the route up again. It is a lot better than driving the Great North Road. I hope this helps.

Who will you be hunting with are where will you be hunting?

Thanks for all the input.